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Hard-paste porcelain dish, 1644 - 1911. Museum no. 491-1931

Porcelain

Porcelain describes ceramics with a white body fired at a high temperature.

Hard-paste porcelain, also known as true porcelain, is fired at temperatures up to 1450ºC. It has a vitrified (glassy) appearance and is hard, strong and non-porous. It can be used to make very delicate objects which may be thin walled and translucent. The glaze on hard-paste porcelain is fused to the body by the high firing temperature. Exposed or broken edges can be very smooth and almost glassy in texture. Hard-paste porcelain is made from china stone and/or china clay (kaolin).